Words & Music:
John Lennon
Paul McCartney
Yesterday,
All my troubles seemed so far away
Now it looks as though they're here to stay
Oh I believe in yesterday
Suddenly
I don't have the laugh
I used to weep
There's a shadow hanging over me
Oh, yesterday, came suddenly
Why'd she have to go
I don't know, she wouldn't say
I said something wrong
Now I long for yesterday
Yesterday
Love was such an easy game to play
Now I need a place to hide away
Oh, I believe in yesterday
Recordingdate: 1969/08/25, first released on: On Stage (album)
Musicians
Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Yesterday:
(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(piano)
(organ)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
Others*
(baton)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(organ)
(vocals)
(bells)
(tambourine)
(vibes)
(clarinet)
(clarinet)
(clarinet)
(clarinet)
(flute)
(flute)
(flute)
(french horn)
(horns)
(horns)
(horns)
(oboe)
(sax)
(sax)
(trombone)
(trombone)
(trombone)
(trumpet)
(trumpet)
(trumpet)
(whistle)
(cello)
(cello)
(cello)
(cello)
(fiddle)
(viola)
(viola)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
*Orchestra, overdubs
Availability
Find available albums with Yesterday.
ok but not as good as the original. Simpler is better as The Beatles proved. Not a Vgeas style song with all the horns & voices, etc.
I do like it better than the Beatles version ... simply because his voice was alot more impressing I guess !
Not as good as the original where the arrangement and Paul's inferior voice just fits perfectly. This is a good effort but not one of his stand out live recordings, and I would have liked to have heard a more polished studio version.
The song itself is not very impressive, but I do prefer the Beatles version.
I always thought Elvis sung this as kind of a half hearted throw away during his live 70's performances. Not badly done, but often done as part of a medley, and only portions sung. I wish he had done a complete studio version and the results would have been excellent, as it is we can dream.
Beatles, schmeatles. I prefer Elvis' version.
I've always preferred Elvis' rendition of this classic song without a shadow of a doubt.
This page lists the incorrect lyrics "Suddenly, I Don't Have the Laugh I Used to Weep".
The correct lyrics are actually "Suddenly, I'm Not Half the Man I Used to Be".
This is easily one of the greatest songs that's ever been written.
This is one of the worst songs he ever recorded. Not even close. A throw away piece of garbage as evident that RCA had to scrap the bottom of the barrel for something to add to his 1970's album "Elvis Now".
I prefer the Elvis version of this mediocre song
I like this music. Elvis could have recorded in studio and surely would have a beautiful version
Neither Hey Jude nor Yesterday are among my outmost Beatles favs. I was surprised back in the day to hear Elvis do such a nice rendition of the song. The Complete medley of both are ruined by the Hey Jude part. I'm glad that part was not included in the On Stage album. As a stand alone piece Elvis' version is played more by me than The Beatles'.
There are lot versions of the song out there, some are better than elvis reading, some are worse. Overall, it's ok, but i totally get why it wasn't released already in 69 but used as a filler when they desperately needed "new" material for the on stage lp. It's not spectacular or too original, it's a forgettable filler compared to the better versions out there.
The bottom line here to me is, I never heard a cover of a Beatles song that was better than the original, and I never heard a cover of an Elvis song that was better than the original. I get why Vegas performers do covers, but in Elvis' case, he had so many classic from his own catalog, there was no need to do this song. For what reason, to show he was in touch with the world's most popular group? I didn't get it then, I don't get it now, and the tag on Hey Jude thing was simply awful. Leave signature songs to their original artists. A cover of a lesser known Beatles song would have been more welcome.
To be blunt, this attempt is horrendous! It sucks, plain and simple. Garbage.
Garbage this most certainly isn't, but is it as good as the Beatles studio recording ...a big no. However, if I had been in the audience in Vegas when he performed this song then I would have been more than happy with the result bearing in mind it is difficult to recreate that live experience on tape/vinyl etc.
Shouldn’t the lyrics be “I’m not half the stud I used to be.”
It’s all down to personal taste and to my ears, I’ve never liked the Beatles. To me Elvis sings this much better and would rather listen to his version any day, despite it being a live recording.
I agree with the comments above that a more subtle arrangement should have been used for this song, but I still like it.
My favorite version is the one from August 24, 1969 (Dinner Show).